Tufting button



April 20, 1937. w w 2,077,691

TUFTING BUTTON Filed Dec. 26, 1955 INVENTOR V 1 ////'am L. flaw.

Patented Apr. 20, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 'iClaims.

This invention relates to buttons particularly for use in tufting cushions, mattresses, various types of upholstery, and the like, and has for its principal object to provide a tut'ting button constructed to facilitate its application to tufting tapes or ties.

Other important objects of the invention are to provide a button for use in connection with preformed tuIting ties or tapes; to provide a tuiting button construction which securely retains the tie element in the eye portion of the button; and to provide a tufting button construction wherein any of the enamel or other coating which tends to block the eye of the button is readily dislodged to permit passage of the tie.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the invention, as hereinafter pointed out, I have provided improved details of structure, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a tufting button constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a similar perspective view of the button as viewed from the underneath side of the head.

Fig. 3 is a section through the head of the button on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view of a portion of a mattress shown in compressed condition and illustrating the application 01 the tufting buttons to a tie element.

Fig. 5 is a similar view after the mattress is expanded.

Fig. 6 is a section through the tufting button on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3.

Fig. '7 shows application of a tape element to the button.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a modified form of the invention.

Fig. 9 is a similar view of the form of button shown in Fig. 8, as viewed from the underneath side of the head.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of another modified form of tufting button.

Fig. 11 is a still further modified form of the invention.

Referring more in detail to the drawing:

I designates a tufting button constructed in ac-' cordance with the present invention and which is shown as including a head 2 and an eye 3. The head 2 is formed of separate sections 4 and 5, which, in the instance of Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive, are of substantially semicircular shape and arranged with their diametrical sides 6 and I extending in spaced parallel relation to form a slot or passageway 8 therebetween, through which a tie element is passed, as later described. The sections 4 and I cooperate to provide a substantially concave-convex head with the concave side 9 forming an annular bearing portion ill at the periphery of the head.

The eye 3 ispreferably formed of a portion of wire having substantially round cross section and bent intermediate its ends, as at H, to form a loop or eye opening I! to accommodate the tie element later described. The ends of the wire abovethe eye opening I! converge inwardly as at is and I4, to form a constricted throat or passageway l5 therebetween.

From the throat ii the terminal ends it and "of the wire converge outwardly and are suitably welded or otherwise attached to the concave side of the respective sections 4 and 5 on the respective sides of the slot 8, as indicated at it and I9, Figs. 2 and 3.

The wire material from which the eye is formed is preferably of spring-like material and has suflicient rigidity to normally maintain the head sections in spaced relation to form the slot 8. The slot 8 is preferably of suflicient width to freely pass the tie element but the throat i5 is of preferably narrower width than the tape element to prevent its displacement from the eye opening i2.

The tutting buttons may be suitably painted, or otherwise finished, to enhance the appearance thereof and prevent rusting or corroding. It often happens that the paint, due to capillary action, tends to clog the eye and throat constriction i5, however this portion of the paint may be readily broken loose by pulling the respective head sections apart and allowing the sections to spring together. This action moves the terminal portions of the eye, breaking loose any paint tending to clog the tie passageway and eye p n The tufting button thus described is especially adapted for use in connection with a preformed tying element 20 which may be formed of thread, cord, wire or the like, with its ends 2! and 22 tied together as at 23, to form an endless loop 24.

In applying the tufting buttons. for example to a mattress, one of the tufting buttons, is applied to the tie element by passing the tie through the slot 8, between the terminal ends it and I1, and constriction i5, into the eye opening l2.

When the tie is pulled through the constricted portion the terminal ends or the eye are spread apart incidental to the pulling pressure applied to the tie, and when the tie enters the opening 12,

the terminal ends return to their normal position thereby preventing accidental displacement of the tie from the eye of the button. The tie is 6 then threaded through the mattress 25 by a suitable instrument (not shown), and the mattress compressed at the point of insertion, as indicated in Fig. 4. A second tufting button is then engaged with the projecting end 26 of the tie by passing the loop thereof through the slot 8 of the button and through the constricted throat to the eye opening l2. Then upon release of the compressing pressure, the fllling material of the mattress expands to draw the heads of the tufting buttons into seating engagement with the respective sides of the mattress and form the tufts, as indicated at 21. The expansion pressure of the filling material draws the annular seating edge of the button heads into seated contact and due to the concavo-convex nature of the head the pres sure tends to close the slot 8'to provide a substantially smooth convex periphery.

The buttons may be used in connection with tape ties 28, as shown in Fig. '7, by passing the tapes edgewise through the slot 8 of the button head as illustrated.

The modified form of button, shown in Fig. 8, is substantially identical to that illustrated in Figs. 1 to inclusive, however the parallel edge portions 6 and I of the head sections are shaped to provide a v-shaped notch 29 on the section 5 and a similar shaped tongue 30 on the section 4, thereby providing a tortuous slot through which the tie must be passed to cause it to enter the eye opening i2. The tongue 30 thus forms a guard to prevent accidental displacement of the tie should the constricted portion 01' the eye become open to an extent wider than the thickness of the tape.

The tufting button shown in Fig. is formed of flat strip material, bent intermediate its ends to form an eye opening 3| and a constricted throat portion 32, similar to the constricted throat l5 described in the preferred form of the invention. The terminal ends of the strip converge outwardly from the constricted throat 32 and terminate in laterally extending bearing portions 33 and 34 to form a head for engaging the surface 50 of a mattress or the like. The terminal ends are preferably of arcuate shape so that the outer,

ends 35 and 36 engage the mattress surface to effect closure of the constricted throat 32 when the button is in place.

In Fig. 11 the tufting button is shown as formed of a piece of wire 31, bent intermediate its ends, to form an eye opening 38 and a constricted throat 39 from which the ends converge outwardly, as at 40 and II, and terminate in ring-like no bearing portions 42 and 43 similar to the bearing portions 33 and 34 of the form 01' the invention shown in Fig. 10.

The tufting buttons of the type illustrated in Figs. 10 and 11 may be applied to a mattress or other type of upholstery in the same manner as the tufting buttons illustrated in Figs. 1 to 9 inclusive.

From the foregoing it is apparent that I have provided a tufting button which is readily applied to a preformed tie element and which, when applied, is retained from accidental displacement because of the constricted throat l5. It is also obvious that pressure appliedto the tie element 75 eflects substantial closure of the 5101. 8, ther y providing a smooth exterior suriace for the button head.

If it is difflcult to insert the tie through the slot 8 the head sections may 'bespread apart to effect widening of the slot sumciently to allow free passage of the tie therebetween. Upon release of the sections the spring-like nature of the eye element returns the sections to their original position closing the slot.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A tufting button including an eye element formed of resilient wire-like material, and head sections fixed to the eye element and normally spaced apart by said eye element to form a passageway wherethrough a tie element is passed for seating engagement with the eye element, said sections forming a substantially concavoconvex head to provide a peripheral bearing seat for the button and which are adapted to move toward each other to close said space when the tie element is drawn taut to seat the button.

2. A tufting button including an eye element formed of a wire-like strand bent intermediate its ends to form an eye opening. a constricted throat in communication with the eye opening and outwardly diverging terminal ends to provide a converging passageway leading to the constricted throat, and head sections connected with said terminal ends and spaced apart to provide a passageway in communication with said throat whereby a tying element is freely passed between said head sections and guided in said converging passageway through the throat and into said eye opening.

3. A tufting button including an eye element formed of a wire-like strand bent intermediate its ends to form an eye opening, a constricted throat in communication with the eye opening and outwardly diverging terminal ends to provide a converging passageway leading to the constricted throat, and concavo-convex head sections connected with said terminal ends and spaced apart to provide a passageway in communication with said throat whereby a tying element is freely passed between said head sections and guided in said converging passageway through the throat and into said eye opening.

4. A tufting button including an eye element formed of a wire-like strand bent intermediate its ends to form an eye opening and having terminal ends forming a constricted throat in communication with the eye opening. and substantially semicircular concave-convex head elements connected with said terminal ends and spaced apart to provide a passageway in communication with said throat, one of said head elements having a tongue spacingly received in a recess of the other.

5. A tufting button including an eye element formed of a flexible wire-like strand bent intermediate its ends to form an eye opening and having terminal ends, and head elements connected with said terminal ends and spaced apart to provide a passageway to said eye element for a tying element, the spacing between said head elements being closed incidental to the flexible character of the wire-like strand.

6. A tufting button including an eye element formed of a wire-like strand bent intermediate its ends to form an eye opening and having terminal ends forming a constricted throat in communication with the eye opening, substantially semicircular head sections connected with said terminal ends and spaced apart to provide a passageway in communication with said throat, and means on said head elements to form a guard portion extending across said passageway.

'7 A tufting button including an eye element formed of a wire-like strand bent intermediate its ends to form an eye opening and having terminal ends forming a constricted throat in communication with the eye opening through which a tying element is passed into the eye opening,

and substantially semicircular head sections connected with said terminal ends and spaced apart to provide a passageway for the tying element that is passed through the throat, said strand being formed of yieldable material so that when a tightening force is applied to the eye element in forming a tuft the space between said head sections is closed.

WILLIAM L. HAWN. 

